Narrative:Formosa Airlines flight 7613 took off from Taipei-Sung Shan Airport (TSA) at 15:29 on a flight to Matsu Island (MFK). Visibility was poor as the Dornier 228 approached the airport. The crew attempted a visual approach in instrument conditions. The approach was continued although the copilot had not yet spotted the runway. He was concentrating on obtaining visual cues and failed to monitor the approach. The crew noticed that they had descended very low and increased power. The aircraft was not able to gain height fast enough, contacted the sea and crashed.

This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path. Distance from Taipei-Songshan Airport to Matsu Airport as the crow flies is 200 km (125 miles).Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.